Forgotten Trends

Do you ever look back on something and ask yourself, ‘What was I thinking?’ Architecture and interior design is no exception.

Let’s take a moment to reminisce over the humble home’s fashion faux pas over the years. It’s easy to see why some trends never circled back around, but there have also been some real gems of designs worthy of a comeback.

Trends we miss

CONVERSATION PITS

In the 1950s and ‘60s, encouraged by builders, homeowners were crazy about sunken-level conversation pits. The pits eventually phased out due to their isolation from the rest of the room and their tendency to cause falls.

BEER CARTS

Providing stylish and efficient housing for an assortment of beverages, glasses and other happy-hour essentials, beer carts were a novelty invention, but over time they were replaced by built-in bars. But sometimes the party moves to another room and that’s where the beer cart over the built-in bar prevails.

OLD-SCHOOL APPLIANCES

Smeg fridges, retro ovens and vintage milkshake makers like the popular Hamilton Beach model – these were the epitome of cool in their heyday. Their rounded designs and pastel hues were a great way to add personality to a space and they’d look great today juxtaposed against straight lines and neutral colours.

Trends we’re glad to see gone

SHAG CARPETS

A great idea in the 1970s, shag carpets and rugs were captors of dirt and dust and the like and once the novelty wore off they were hastily replaced and people have never looked back. We’re quite happy for this trend to stay in the past.

POPCORN CEILINGS

Common in houses built in the 1960s and 70s, popcorn ceilings offered acoustical benefits and helped hide bumps and imperfections. The trend soon fell out of favour and for good reason: not only did they become considered an eye sore but they also concealed dust, cobwebs and in some cases, asbestos.

BABY CAGES

How this ever passed as a good idea is a mystery, but in their day, baby cages were particularly popular with mothers who lived in apartment buildings as a quick and easy way to allow their child to play in the fresh air.